Oil Paintings – an Overview
Ben Jonson asked:
As a known fact oil painting is the most preferred mode of painting by most of the artists as well as the painting fans. The probable reason why it is enjoyed and loved by most of the people is because of the deep and beautiful colors present and the attractiveness which the picture brings to the room when it is hung. Oil paintings have greater scope of being framed beautifully, unlike other forms that do not lent themselves to be framed with metaphorical frames that enhance and add an additional point of attraction to the paintings.
Paintings as such from the ancient times are considered to be a mode by which artists express the beauty which they feel around themselves and thus they present it according to their interpretations. Oil paintings have proven to create a tremendous leap in the creation of the art that looks much realistic and people just groove into the beauty of the oil paintings which have an extremely realistic appearance.
An imaginative and a good artist uses oil paintings as a medium to enhance his piece of work which is created based on his imagination or out of the interpretations which he might have drawn from the objects viewed. A good artist along with his set of oil paintings can add a life to the objects he paints, especially painting on a canvas gives the paintings a three dimensional look. A good and an imaginative artist can make any paintings renowned by adding a pinch of emotion with just a stroke of a brush to the paintings which might be depicting victorious events or the scenic beauty of nature. Artists have this admirable ability to add life to the objects, thus the different interpretations which the artist draw makes us visualize the inanimate objects in a new way. Now for instance let’s consider a ship which is fighting a terrible storm, an artist possesses the ability to portray the intensity of the nature and thus making us to imagine the fury of nature by viewing the painting. Oil paintings have provided extremely realistic appearances that have added a color to the imaginations of the artist. In 1500A.D the artists made the discovering of making colorful paints by mixing ground natural pigments by using vegetable oil took place. The drying oils which were utilized in the early days were walnut oil, poppy oil, hempseed oil, castor oil and linseed oil. These oils acted as varnishes for protecting the images and thus it helped in the protection of the paintings from damage caused by water. Thus oil paintings are considered as one of the best medium to put into light the frozen thoughts and provide a realistic view to the paintings.
As a known fact oil painting is the most preferred mode of painting by most of the artists as well as the painting fans. The probable reason why it is enjoyed and loved by most of the people is because of the deep and beautiful colors present and the attractiveness which the picture brings to the room when it is hung. Oil paintings have greater scope of being framed beautifully, unlike other forms that do not lent themselves to be framed with metaphorical frames that enhance and add an additional point of attraction to the paintings.
Paintings as such from the ancient times are considered to be a mode by which artists express the beauty which they feel around themselves and thus they present it according to their interpretations. Oil paintings have proven to create a tremendous leap in the creation of the art that looks much realistic and people just groove into the beauty of the oil paintings which have an extremely realistic appearance.
An imaginative and a good artist uses oil paintings as a medium to enhance his piece of work which is created based on his imagination or out of the interpretations which he might have drawn from the objects viewed. A good artist along with his set of oil paintings can add a life to the objects he paints, especially painting on a canvas gives the paintings a three dimensional look. A good and an imaginative artist can make any paintings renowned by adding a pinch of emotion with just a stroke of a brush to the paintings which might be depicting victorious events or the scenic beauty of nature. Artists have this admirable ability to add life to the objects, thus the different interpretations which the artist draw makes us visualize the inanimate objects in a new way. Now for instance let’s consider a ship which is fighting a terrible storm, an artist possesses the ability to portray the intensity of the nature and thus making us to imagine the fury of nature by viewing the painting. Oil paintings have provided extremely realistic appearances that have added a color to the imaginations of the artist. In 1500A.D the artists made the discovering of making colorful paints by mixing ground natural pigments by using vegetable oil took place. The drying oils which were utilized in the early days were walnut oil, poppy oil, hempseed oil, castor oil and linseed oil. These oils acted as varnishes for protecting the images and thus it helped in the protection of the paintings from damage caused by water. Thus oil paintings are considered as one of the best medium to put into light the frozen thoughts and provide a realistic view to the paintings.
Art Education: Basic Techniques of Classical Realism Oil Paintings
October 31, 2009 by admin
Filed under Online Education
Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) asked:
What is oil painting? Oil paints on the canvas. It’s an indisputable definition. I thought that oil painting is more than that.
Any kind of figurative art (including oil painting) is thought of beforehand. The basic rules of studying drawing and painting are very closely connected with the laws of the discipline.
Tip 1. Brushes
You should have many brushes so that not to lose time washing them while working. Take a new brush for every new mix. Use round kolinsky brushes, No.1 to No. 10. To cover larger surfaces, you will need a few #20 to #35 brushes. For final strokes PRIPLAVLENIYE (final blending) you will need a few very soft round and flat average size squirrel brushes. Brushes should be treated very carefully. After every session they should be washed in turpentine and after that in warm water with soap.
Tip 2. Canvas
The canvas should be primed additionally a few more times and in conclusion it should be ground with fine sandpaper. After that the canvas should be scraped with a razor to remove the canvas texture till smooth dead surface similar to the egg’s surface is achieved.
Tip 3. Palette
The palette must be made of hard dark wood, best of all, of pear wood. After work wash the palette with turpentine and scrape it with a razor. Before work wipe the palette with linseed oil.
Tip 4. Paper
The
drawing is made on paper life-size to the smallest details. Then it is transferred to the canvas by carbon-paper. After that the drawing is outlined with brown ink because the first oil layer – IMPRIMATURA (transparent coat that is equal to the middle tone of largest, lightest object in painting) – will wash away the pencil, but the ink will remain visible almost through the last layers.
Tip 5. Still Life Objects
It is very important to have objects for still life in the studio. Don’t be stingy at garage sales and flea markets, you may regret it later.
Tip 6. Lacquer
The lacquer for
IMPRIMATURA is made of 2% of dry DAMAR CRYSTALS and 98% of turpentine. The lacquer for painting is made of 5-10% of dry resin and 90-95 % of turpentine. A couple of lavender oil drops are added directly to the oil-can. Scientists say lavender oil stimulates the brain. However, I think that old masters added it to eliminate the heavy turpentine smell. The lacquer for the final step consists of 30% of DAMAR CRYSTALS, 3% of linseed oil, and 67% of turpentine.
Tip 7. Canvas Cleaning
Before each new layer the canvas (ideally dried during 7 weeks) is carefully wiped with a half of an onion (in order to prepare the dried surface to absorb better) and then with linseed oil. After that the canvas is wiped with a soft piece of cloth.
Tip 8. Mixture
IMPRIMATURA, or the first paint layer. The canvas is covered with a liquid mixture based on Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre Light and Ivory Black (the mixture should have an olive hue).
Tip 9. Basic Set of Paints
The basic set of paints is the following: “Rembrandt” oil colors: Flake White, Yellow Ochre Light, Red Ochre, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber Ivory and Lamp Black (7 Basic Colors), and 4 extra colors (when necessary) which I use in the last layers: Flake Yellow (instead of it also can be used Cadmium Yellow Deep), Madder Lake Deep, Chinese Vermilion, Prussian Blue. But be careful to use these last 4 colors very sparingly.
Tip 10. TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK
The
first and the second TEL’NII (flesh tones: main life colors) PODMALYOVOK (5th and 6th layers). The first TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK is made half a tone lighter and two tones lighter in colors; and half a tone darker and two tones lighter in shadows. The same is true of the second TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK.
Tip 11. PODMALYOVOK
The dead layer – the fourth PODMALYOVOK – is made with white lead, light ocher, red ocher, and burnt bone. The aim of this PODMALYOVOK is penumbra. The picture must look as if its objects were lit with moonlight – olive cold gray color. Colors are applied thickly, half a tone higher, shadows are very transparent, half a tone lower.
Tip 12. LESSIROVKA
The seventh layer — LESSIROVKA : Details of textures, thickly applied highlights, bright reflections, and signature. In this layer you may use additional paints: Prussian blue, red cinnabar, yellow flake (cadmium yellow deep), madder lake deep.
Tip 13. Shadow PODMALYOVOK
The shadow
PODMALYOVOK (the process of creating intermediate layers) is made with Burnt Umber in two layers (2nd and 3rd layers). In the second layer all details are made excluding the texture. In the third layer LESSIROVKA of the main tone masses is made with a big brush.
Tip 14. Music
Many painters get an energy charge from music. Stop listening to any modern music and begin listening only to classical music. Try to begin loving it.
Last, stop looking at modern art and stop loving it. Modern bright colors and hue contrasts destroy the subtle vision of the painter who took risks to study classical painting in our time.
From the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century artists used the seven layer technique. Like music where there are seven notes, seven keys, and within each there are seven more. 7 days in a week. 7 Layers of Paint. Each layer in oil painting must dry for seven weeks. The energy which we receive from old paintings in museums, like ghosts in old castles with old paintings, is related to this magic figure.
What is oil painting? Oil paints on the canvas. It’s an indisputable definition. I thought that oil painting is more than that.
Any kind of figurative art (including oil painting) is thought of beforehand. The basic rules of studying drawing and painting are very closely connected with the laws of the discipline.
Tip 1. Brushes
You should have many brushes so that not to lose time washing them while working. Take a new brush for every new mix. Use round kolinsky brushes, No.1 to No. 10. To cover larger surfaces, you will need a few #20 to #35 brushes. For final strokes PRIPLAVLENIYE (final blending) you will need a few very soft round and flat average size squirrel brushes. Brushes should be treated very carefully. After every session they should be washed in turpentine and after that in warm water with soap.
Tip 2. Canvas
The canvas should be primed additionally a few more times and in conclusion it should be ground with fine sandpaper. After that the canvas should be scraped with a razor to remove the canvas texture till smooth dead surface similar to the egg’s surface is achieved.
Tip 3. Palette
The palette must be made of hard dark wood, best of all, of pear wood. After work wash the palette with turpentine and scrape it with a razor. Before work wipe the palette with linseed oil.
Tip 4. Paper
The
drawing is made on paper life-size to the smallest details. Then it is transferred to the canvas by carbon-paper. After that the drawing is outlined with brown ink because the first oil layer – IMPRIMATURA (transparent coat that is equal to the middle tone of largest, lightest object in painting) – will wash away the pencil, but the ink will remain visible almost through the last layers.
Tip 5. Still Life Objects
It is very important to have objects for still life in the studio. Don’t be stingy at garage sales and flea markets, you may regret it later.
Tip 6. Lacquer
The lacquer for
IMPRIMATURA is made of 2% of dry DAMAR CRYSTALS and 98% of turpentine. The lacquer for painting is made of 5-10% of dry resin and 90-95 % of turpentine. A couple of lavender oil drops are added directly to the oil-can. Scientists say lavender oil stimulates the brain. However, I think that old masters added it to eliminate the heavy turpentine smell. The lacquer for the final step consists of 30% of DAMAR CRYSTALS, 3% of linseed oil, and 67% of turpentine.
Tip 7. Canvas Cleaning
Before each new layer the canvas (ideally dried during 7 weeks) is carefully wiped with a half of an onion (in order to prepare the dried surface to absorb better) and then with linseed oil. After that the canvas is wiped with a soft piece of cloth.
Tip 8. Mixture
IMPRIMATURA, or the first paint layer. The canvas is covered with a liquid mixture based on Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre Light and Ivory Black (the mixture should have an olive hue).
Tip 9. Basic Set of Paints
The basic set of paints is the following: “Rembrandt” oil colors: Flake White, Yellow Ochre Light, Red Ochre, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber Ivory and Lamp Black (7 Basic Colors), and 4 extra colors (when necessary) which I use in the last layers: Flake Yellow (instead of it also can be used Cadmium Yellow Deep), Madder Lake Deep, Chinese Vermilion, Prussian Blue. But be careful to use these last 4 colors very sparingly.
Tip 10. TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK
The
first and the second TEL’NII (flesh tones: main life colors) PODMALYOVOK (5th and 6th layers). The first TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK is made half a tone lighter and two tones lighter in colors; and half a tone darker and two tones lighter in shadows. The same is true of the second TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK.
Tip 11. PODMALYOVOK
The dead layer – the fourth PODMALYOVOK – is made with white lead, light ocher, red ocher, and burnt bone. The aim of this PODMALYOVOK is penumbra. The picture must look as if its objects were lit with moonlight – olive cold gray color. Colors are applied thickly, half a tone higher, shadows are very transparent, half a tone lower.
Tip 12. LESSIROVKA
The seventh layer — LESSIROVKA : Details of textures, thickly applied highlights, bright reflections, and signature. In this layer you may use additional paints: Prussian blue, red cinnabar, yellow flake (cadmium yellow deep), madder lake deep.
Tip 13. Shadow PODMALYOVOK
The shadow
PODMALYOVOK (the process of creating intermediate layers) is made with Burnt Umber in two layers (2nd and 3rd layers). In the second layer all details are made excluding the texture. In the third layer LESSIROVKA of the main tone masses is made with a big brush.
Tip 14. Music
Many painters get an energy charge from music. Stop listening to any modern music and begin listening only to classical music. Try to begin loving it.
Last, stop looking at modern art and stop loving it. Modern bright colors and hue contrasts destroy the subtle vision of the painter who took risks to study classical painting in our time.
From the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century artists used the seven layer technique. Like music where there are seven notes, seven keys, and within each there are seven more. 7 days in a week. 7 Layers of Paint. Each layer in oil painting must dry for seven weeks. The energy which we receive from old paintings in museums, like ghosts in old castles with old paintings, is related to this magic figure.
Oil Painting Reproductions – the Secret to Affordable Oil
October 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Painting Mediums
Marcy Ruberto asked:
Art is one of the most incredible aspects of human culture. Only we have the ability to capture our imaginations and perceptions of the world, and put that onto a permanent medium such as canvas. An oil painting can then be shared with others to love and enjoy as well. There are so many beautiful works of art in the world but most are housed in museums and galleries around the world where many people don’t have the chance to see them. Now, however, many talented artists are capturing the beauty of these masterpieces and the general public is being given the opportunity to buy these oil paintings at an affordable price. How? Through an exciting method called oil painting reproduction.
What is an Oil Painting Reproduction?
An oil painting reproduction is basically a recreation of a masterpiece by a new artist. As the name suggests, these pieces are created using oil-based paints on a canvas. Because they are oil painting reproductions, they are considerably more affordable than the originals. Instead of millions of dollars, you could pay less than one hundred dollars.
Perhaps the best part is that you are not purchasing a manufactured copy of the painting. You’re not ordering mass created art. Each oil painting reproduction is hand created by actual painters and artists who have been specially trained so they can carefully and accurately recreate the works of such revered artists as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso and others. Each piece may be a reproduction, but each is also unique with minor differences incorporated by the different artists.
Reasons to Choose an Oil Painting Reproduction
Another amazing thing about these oil painting reproductions is that they have great texture. The oil painting is crisp, clear, and alive on the canvas. The oil painting reproduction creates a breathtaking finished piece of art that will be a focal point or conversation starter in any room.
There are a huge variety of oil painting reproductions to choose from. If you have a favorite artist, you’ll be able to purchase an oil painting reproduction of his or her art. Almost all of the classic masters’ work can be re-created. Even art that was massive in scale can be redone as a smaller oil painting for display in your home. You can have an artist create an oil painting from a photograph that you submit. Imagine hanging an oil painting reproduction of your family portrait over the mantel.
No matter why you buy an oil painting reproduction, whether its because the painting reminds you of a special place, or because it makes your room come alive with color, personality and life, you’re going to love having your very own oil painting reproduction on display for you to enjoy 24/7.
So…it’s time to take down the velvet Elvis and the poker playing dogs, and replace them with fabulous oil painting reproductions! Get the expensive look and feel of original artwork without paying top dollar.
Art Smart Decor was created to provide people with an easy way to be able to afford great artwork. If you’re looking for something that’s alive with personality, maybe a bit on the wacky side, or just something that speaks to your heart, check out www.artsmartdecor.com. Oil painting reproductions are great for gift giving…for the holidays, weddings, graduations, anniversaries or any special occasion.
Art is one of the most incredible aspects of human culture. Only we have the ability to capture our imaginations and perceptions of the world, and put that onto a permanent medium such as canvas. An oil painting can then be shared with others to love and enjoy as well. There are so many beautiful works of art in the world but most are housed in museums and galleries around the world where many people don’t have the chance to see them. Now, however, many talented artists are capturing the beauty of these masterpieces and the general public is being given the opportunity to buy these oil paintings at an affordable price. How? Through an exciting method called oil painting reproduction.
What is an Oil Painting Reproduction?
An oil painting reproduction is basically a recreation of a masterpiece by a new artist. As the name suggests, these pieces are created using oil-based paints on a canvas. Because they are oil painting reproductions, they are considerably more affordable than the originals. Instead of millions of dollars, you could pay less than one hundred dollars.
Perhaps the best part is that you are not purchasing a manufactured copy of the painting. You’re not ordering mass created art. Each oil painting reproduction is hand created by actual painters and artists who have been specially trained so they can carefully and accurately recreate the works of such revered artists as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso and others. Each piece may be a reproduction, but each is also unique with minor differences incorporated by the different artists.
Reasons to Choose an Oil Painting Reproduction
Another amazing thing about these oil painting reproductions is that they have great texture. The oil painting is crisp, clear, and alive on the canvas. The oil painting reproduction creates a breathtaking finished piece of art that will be a focal point or conversation starter in any room.
There are a huge variety of oil painting reproductions to choose from. If you have a favorite artist, you’ll be able to purchase an oil painting reproduction of his or her art. Almost all of the classic masters’ work can be re-created. Even art that was massive in scale can be redone as a smaller oil painting for display in your home. You can have an artist create an oil painting from a photograph that you submit. Imagine hanging an oil painting reproduction of your family portrait over the mantel.
No matter why you buy an oil painting reproduction, whether its because the painting reminds you of a special place, or because it makes your room come alive with color, personality and life, you’re going to love having your very own oil painting reproduction on display for you to enjoy 24/7.
So…it’s time to take down the velvet Elvis and the poker playing dogs, and replace them with fabulous oil painting reproductions! Get the expensive look and feel of original artwork without paying top dollar.
Art Smart Decor was created to provide people with an easy way to be able to afford great artwork. If you’re looking for something that’s alive with personality, maybe a bit on the wacky side, or just something that speaks to your heart, check out www.artsmartdecor.com. Oil painting reproductions are great for gift giving…for the holidays, weddings, graduations, anniversaries or any special occasion.
Purchase Oil Painting for Good Reasons
September 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Art And Entertainment
vijay asked:
When you are planning to buy oil paintings for your home it is extremely significant to decide the reason for buying the painting. Usually reason for buying oil painting falls in to three categories: decoration, collection or investment. This article follows some good tips for you to decide what kind would be best suitable for you.
Commonly people are interested in buying oil painting as a picturesque that some thing nice to upload on the wall, some thing that gives you aesthetic and pretty emotional pleasure and might relate on some topic about them selves. It is not purchased as a reason for investment and does not actually require to be original, even the oil painting reproduction would be amazing in that room and be something that owners really loves it.
Oil painting reproductions as well have their worth practically well. To grab attractive works try going around any usual art galleries, note down the artists name and name of oil paintings that you like and then you just need to contact a reproduction artist to copy the same for you. If you are collecting then you would really require deciding on some basic subjects for your collection, what types of art and what type of artists are you going to build your set around. Looking online is again a good idea, as there are now many galleries that are displaying original art from all sorts of artists at every price level. The talent remains in buying art that you really like and enjoys, and at the same time selects pieces, which go together in some way to shape a collection, which feels like it belongs together.
If you are buying oil painting for investment, then buying art for purpose of making money is an unsafe thing to try and top left to experts. It has to be said that anyone who thinks they could spend in contemporary art and then sell it on quickly at a profit is likely to be disappointed. It is always best to gather art that you actually like and maybe, if you are lucky, a long while in the future some of it may be really worth something. If not, at least you had a awesome pleasure.
Minimizing Damage to Oil Paintings
jackwu asked:
If you’ve spent a lot of money just to acquire priceless oil paintings, you’re certainly entitled to be just a wee bit obsessed when it comes to caring, cleaning and minimizing damage to your oil paintings. In this article, we’ve listed three points to ponder to minimize damage to oil paintings.
Framing – I know, I know, the selection of frames to keep your oil paintings should purely be based on its aesthetic value but really, it shan’t be the case if you want to minimize damage to your oil paintings. If your oil painting is done on fabrics, it’s probable that a wooden frame is used to encase it. A wooden frame is also called a stretcher or trainer, by the way. Although there seems to be no harm done caused by wooden frames, you might want to change your opinion later on during extreme temperature changes.
How do these happen? Moisture is easily absorbed by materials like wood and fabric. Both materials also swell when humidity is present and shrinks in its absence. It’s not the same, however, with paint.
The change in size affects the oil painting and may cause the canvas to sag. Okay I know, I’m taking the long cut with this so bear with me. I just want you to understand the basics behind the warning. Now, because frame makers are aware of the changes these materials undergo, they made sure that they’re expendable joints you can use to “key out” the oil paintings and make sure it remain taut.
And the warning – don’t have it keyed out during the cold months of winter because it might cause the painting to TEAR. That’s right, not darken, not get dirtied but TEAR.
Lighting – So now you better about framing. I’m sure you’re more wary this time when it comes to lighting levels. I’ll keep it simple this time, don’t you worry. My warnings about lighting levels will be to the point: Keep oil paintings in locations that are not easily reached by the harsh rays of sunlight.
If you have no options left about where to keep them, then just make do with closed drapes. Secondly, the ideal light level for oil paintings is 200lux. Thirdly, don’t succumb to temptation and illuminate your oil paintings so its glory may be seen by all. I tell you, it would be simply murderous to your oil paintings.
Temperature and Humidity – As this was already briefly discussed already during the framing process, you now know that humidity level can very much affect the surface of your paintings. So what do I advise regarding humidity levels? Basements are just a no-no to your oil paintings. In relation to temperatures, please do think about buying temperature sensors because fluctuations can likewise cause damage to your oil paintings,if you need more information, you can visit my oil painting site
If you’ve spent a lot of money just to acquire priceless oil paintings, you’re certainly entitled to be just a wee bit obsessed when it comes to caring, cleaning and minimizing damage to your oil paintings. In this article, we’ve listed three points to ponder to minimize damage to oil paintings.
Framing – I know, I know, the selection of frames to keep your oil paintings should purely be based on its aesthetic value but really, it shan’t be the case if you want to minimize damage to your oil paintings. If your oil painting is done on fabrics, it’s probable that a wooden frame is used to encase it. A wooden frame is also called a stretcher or trainer, by the way. Although there seems to be no harm done caused by wooden frames, you might want to change your opinion later on during extreme temperature changes.
How do these happen? Moisture is easily absorbed by materials like wood and fabric. Both materials also swell when humidity is present and shrinks in its absence. It’s not the same, however, with paint.
The change in size affects the oil painting and may cause the canvas to sag. Okay I know, I’m taking the long cut with this so bear with me. I just want you to understand the basics behind the warning. Now, because frame makers are aware of the changes these materials undergo, they made sure that they’re expendable joints you can use to “key out” the oil paintings and make sure it remain taut.
And the warning – don’t have it keyed out during the cold months of winter because it might cause the painting to TEAR. That’s right, not darken, not get dirtied but TEAR.
Lighting – So now you better about framing. I’m sure you’re more wary this time when it comes to lighting levels. I’ll keep it simple this time, don’t you worry. My warnings about lighting levels will be to the point: Keep oil paintings in locations that are not easily reached by the harsh rays of sunlight.
If you have no options left about where to keep them, then just make do with closed drapes. Secondly, the ideal light level for oil paintings is 200lux. Thirdly, don’t succumb to temptation and illuminate your oil paintings so its glory may be seen by all. I tell you, it would be simply murderous to your oil paintings.
Temperature and Humidity – As this was already briefly discussed already during the framing process, you now know that humidity level can very much affect the surface of your paintings. So what do I advise regarding humidity levels? Basements are just a no-no to your oil paintings. In relation to temperatures, please do think about buying temperature sensors because fluctuations can likewise cause damage to your oil paintings,if you need more information, you can visit my oil painting site
Why Choose the Panels Oil Painting
Clint Jhonson asked:
If you are ready to hang painting on your walls or if you are looking for the perfect present, you have arrived at the right place. The oil paintings are to be regarded as a sort of timeless representation that can make the difference for every décor. The oil painting can also be rich in valuable meaning and you should buy such a gift especially if you are celebrating a new real estate. But you will have to be careful when choosing the oil painting.
There are plenty of factors for you to consider. For instance, if you feel ready to hang painting, you should think twice about the sizes and colors. You should stay away from overwhelming colors that are likely to create a negative atmosphere. Instead, you should choose the panels oil painting that has warming effects. The neutral tones are to be preferred instead of the aggressive ones. By choosing an oil painting that has neutral colors, you will be able to use it in almost every type of room without having to worry about the way it looks on a particular role. You should also choose a custom painting in order not to limit the exposure potential.
By choosing a medium size, you will be able to keep your options and flexibility when it comes to hanging the painting on a particular wall from your house. The oil paintings can be bought online; the only thing that you will have to do is to find a reliable online provider. Purchasing such oil paintings may be the perfect choice especially if you are looking for the perfect gift. Such oil paintings can express your gratitude and affection without being too obvious.
Actually, paintings are timeless and you should think of this when looking for the perfect gift. You need to go no further because the online provider is everything you need in order to purchase the appropriate oil painting that will make the recipient’s day. But if you are ready to have your own panels oil painting, you will have to learn how to handle it. Handling the oil painting can be quite catchy if you do not pay enough attention.
Actually, such a painting should be handled with great care and as little as you can. You will have to make sure that your hands are clean; you must wash your hands before handling the oil paining in order to protect its colors and structure. Your hands should also be free of lotions and grease in order not to alter the painting. You must not lift your oil painting with bare fingers; you should not touch the surface of the painting. Therefore, you must wear cloves in order to protect the tissue of the painting. The colors are to be protected and you may do this by wearing special gloves. You should also protect your oil paintings from direct sunlight; the oil paintings can fade out especially if they are exposed to direct and strong sunlight.
But there are plenty of reasons why you should think of the oil painting as being the perfect gift for anyone you love. The oil painting is a great gift that can impress almost every person. This type of paintings can be regarded as a medium that will be appreciated thanks to its meaningful content. You may choose these paintings especially because they can warm every house thanks to their lively colors. These paintings can be found online; the only thing you should do is to browse the internet in order to find the reliable shops that can deliver your purchased paintings in no time.
But if you are looking for a gift, you should make sure that the purchased painting is a neutral one. This type of painting can make a great gift especially if you are not familiar with the recipient’s tastes or styles. Therefore, you should keep it simple. The oil painting will be enough especially if it is a neutral one. For instance, the landscapes are the perfect choice when looking for a neutral painting. You may also consider the still life because this type of painting is likely to be appreciated by many people including the future recipient.
The oil paintings are extremely useful for various decorative purposes; they can also be used as a strong reminder of special occasions or friends. For instance, the oil painting can stand for the gratitude of having a beautiful job. Therefore, you should consider the oil painting as the perfect gift for your boss.
If you are ready to hang painting on your walls or if you are looking for the perfect present, you have arrived at the right place. The oil paintings are to be regarded as a sort of timeless representation that can make the difference for every décor. The oil painting can also be rich in valuable meaning and you should buy such a gift especially if you are celebrating a new real estate. But you will have to be careful when choosing the oil painting.
There are plenty of factors for you to consider. For instance, if you feel ready to hang painting, you should think twice about the sizes and colors. You should stay away from overwhelming colors that are likely to create a negative atmosphere. Instead, you should choose the panels oil painting that has warming effects. The neutral tones are to be preferred instead of the aggressive ones. By choosing an oil painting that has neutral colors, you will be able to use it in almost every type of room without having to worry about the way it looks on a particular role. You should also choose a custom painting in order not to limit the exposure potential.
By choosing a medium size, you will be able to keep your options and flexibility when it comes to hanging the painting on a particular wall from your house. The oil paintings can be bought online; the only thing that you will have to do is to find a reliable online provider. Purchasing such oil paintings may be the perfect choice especially if you are looking for the perfect gift. Such oil paintings can express your gratitude and affection without being too obvious.
Actually, paintings are timeless and you should think of this when looking for the perfect gift. You need to go no further because the online provider is everything you need in order to purchase the appropriate oil painting that will make the recipient’s day. But if you are ready to have your own panels oil painting, you will have to learn how to handle it. Handling the oil painting can be quite catchy if you do not pay enough attention.
Actually, such a painting should be handled with great care and as little as you can. You will have to make sure that your hands are clean; you must wash your hands before handling the oil paining in order to protect its colors and structure. Your hands should also be free of lotions and grease in order not to alter the painting. You must not lift your oil painting with bare fingers; you should not touch the surface of the painting. Therefore, you must wear cloves in order to protect the tissue of the painting. The colors are to be protected and you may do this by wearing special gloves. You should also protect your oil paintings from direct sunlight; the oil paintings can fade out especially if they are exposed to direct and strong sunlight.
But there are plenty of reasons why you should think of the oil painting as being the perfect gift for anyone you love. The oil painting is a great gift that can impress almost every person. This type of paintings can be regarded as a medium that will be appreciated thanks to its meaningful content. You may choose these paintings especially because they can warm every house thanks to their lively colors. These paintings can be found online; the only thing you should do is to browse the internet in order to find the reliable shops that can deliver your purchased paintings in no time.
But if you are looking for a gift, you should make sure that the purchased painting is a neutral one. This type of painting can make a great gift especially if you are not familiar with the recipient’s tastes or styles. Therefore, you should keep it simple. The oil painting will be enough especially if it is a neutral one. For instance, the landscapes are the perfect choice when looking for a neutral painting. You may also consider the still life because this type of painting is likely to be appreciated by many people including the future recipient.
The oil paintings are extremely useful for various decorative purposes; they can also be used as a strong reminder of special occasions or friends. For instance, the oil painting can stand for the gratitude of having a beautiful job. Therefore, you should consider the oil painting as the perfect gift for your boss.
Things Required to Make Oil Painting Easier
Ben Jonson asked:
The process of painting with varnishes is popularly known as oil painting. Varnishes are a combination of oil like the linseed oil with the resin such as pine resin. Other than linseed oil, oils like poppy seed oil, walnut oil and safflower oil. Oil paintings provide extremely versatile color combinations. For a thick coat oil paints can be used in impasto, which is a textured application where the marks of the paint brush remain visible. They can even be used for a thin layered image like glazes.
Here are some oil painting tips which will make your painting experience more enjoyable and disciplined.
• First the selection of a non porous palette is of vital importance; it would be extremely useful if he would place it in the same order as you paint so that it could be dipped instinctively thus constituting a good flow of painting . Always pour a good amount of whites. Arranging the colors at the end of the palette is considered as good practice thus providing space in the center for mixing.
• It is always suggested to invest in a good set of brushes because cheap set of brushes often tend to lay their bristles. Sometimes it extremely becomes difficult to clean the brush, then it would be suggested that you mix some thinner along with some liquid soap, the brushed can be dipped and then it could be wiped with a newspaper.
• At times it becomes a major chaos to find the right combination of colors to get a lighter combination or a darker shade. The commonly used colors come from the spectrum viz; red, blue, violet, orange, yellow, green. The chaos would be easily solved once we become aware of the properties of colors value ,intensity ,temperature and hue .Intensity or purity of a color indicates how bright or dull the color is For example when orange is directly used from the tube it has higher intensity. On the other hand value of the color refers to the darkness and the lightness of the color. Colors vary in temperature from warm yellows to cool violets. Hue is the synonym of color like apple and cherry are shades or hues of red . Ivory black can be avoided to be used for underpainting or outlining as it dries much slower than the rest of the oil paints.
• To avoid cracks in the painting always follow the fat over lean i.e.; the proportion of oil should be increased for each additional layer because the lower layers penetrate the oil of the layers above, thus causing cracks.
• It is much preferable that the oil paintings should never be dried in the dark this will constitute to the formation of a thin film of oil raised above thus yellowing the paints.
The process of painting with varnishes is popularly known as oil painting. Varnishes are a combination of oil like the linseed oil with the resin such as pine resin. Other than linseed oil, oils like poppy seed oil, walnut oil and safflower oil. Oil paintings provide extremely versatile color combinations. For a thick coat oil paints can be used in impasto, which is a textured application where the marks of the paint brush remain visible. They can even be used for a thin layered image like glazes.
Here are some oil painting tips which will make your painting experience more enjoyable and disciplined.
• First the selection of a non porous palette is of vital importance; it would be extremely useful if he would place it in the same order as you paint so that it could be dipped instinctively thus constituting a good flow of painting . Always pour a good amount of whites. Arranging the colors at the end of the palette is considered as good practice thus providing space in the center for mixing.
• It is always suggested to invest in a good set of brushes because cheap set of brushes often tend to lay their bristles. Sometimes it extremely becomes difficult to clean the brush, then it would be suggested that you mix some thinner along with some liquid soap, the brushed can be dipped and then it could be wiped with a newspaper.
• At times it becomes a major chaos to find the right combination of colors to get a lighter combination or a darker shade. The commonly used colors come from the spectrum viz; red, blue, violet, orange, yellow, green. The chaos would be easily solved once we become aware of the properties of colors value ,intensity ,temperature and hue .Intensity or purity of a color indicates how bright or dull the color is For example when orange is directly used from the tube it has higher intensity. On the other hand value of the color refers to the darkness and the lightness of the color. Colors vary in temperature from warm yellows to cool violets. Hue is the synonym of color like apple and cherry are shades or hues of red . Ivory black can be avoided to be used for underpainting or outlining as it dries much slower than the rest of the oil paints.
• To avoid cracks in the painting always follow the fat over lean i.e.; the proportion of oil should be increased for each additional layer because the lower layers penetrate the oil of the layers above, thus causing cracks.
• It is much preferable that the oil paintings should never be dried in the dark this will constitute to the formation of a thin film of oil raised above thus yellowing the paints.
All About Oil Paintings and Acrylics
Ben Jonson asked:
Painting as a profession is considered to be one of the most adorable professions. One of the most common questions which many people or the painters face is that what type of paint they should use. The different options which are available are oil paintings, acrylics, water colors and pastels. Well this article will deal in handling one of the most unique problems as to what kind of paint should you use. And I am going to deal with this problem by making you aware with the benefits and disadvantages of each of the method of paints and this in turn will help you decide with which method you will have to go for.
Acrylics: Some of the few benefits which you can get with the acrylics are that they dry very quickly and the acrylic paints can be either mixed with water or any other medium. The brushes which are used for acrylics are that these brushes can be easily cleaned with water. And once the paint is dried again the other layers can be applied over it without disturbing the layers which lies beneath it. It is water resistant and it provides a good option as to it can be used very thickly like oils and it can even be used for thin washes like the water color.
While on the other hand there are some factors which would stop you from using the acrylics like for the fact acrylics dry very quickly, however the working time can be increased by mixing a retarding medium to the paint or you can also spray water on the paintings. Acrylics are completely waterproof so in case once they are dried there is no scope that you can remove the paint. It is also a difficult scenario to remove from the brush once it is dried.
Oil paintings: Another very impressive method or the mode of paintings is that of the oil painting, wherein they do not dry very quickly and thus paves much time to work and more scope for blending. Once the oil paintings are dried they can be painted again and this would not disturb the underlying layers. Another important and very attractive feature is that there is wide variety of color options available with oil paintings and such a range of colors is not offered by any of the modes of painting. You also have very rich and deep colors which maintain their intensity even after they are dried.
Some of the demerits which the oil paintings have are that they take very long time to dry. As they dry very hardly you will have to wait for several months before the painting can be varnished. When working with oil paintings you can work on many paintings simultaneously because of the excessive time they take to dry. As far as brush which is used in oil painting is considered it can be cleaned only with spirit.
Painting as a profession is considered to be one of the most adorable professions. One of the most common questions which many people or the painters face is that what type of paint they should use. The different options which are available are oil paintings, acrylics, water colors and pastels. Well this article will deal in handling one of the most unique problems as to what kind of paint should you use. And I am going to deal with this problem by making you aware with the benefits and disadvantages of each of the method of paints and this in turn will help you decide with which method you will have to go for.
Acrylics: Some of the few benefits which you can get with the acrylics are that they dry very quickly and the acrylic paints can be either mixed with water or any other medium. The brushes which are used for acrylics are that these brushes can be easily cleaned with water. And once the paint is dried again the other layers can be applied over it without disturbing the layers which lies beneath it. It is water resistant and it provides a good option as to it can be used very thickly like oils and it can even be used for thin washes like the water color.
While on the other hand there are some factors which would stop you from using the acrylics like for the fact acrylics dry very quickly, however the working time can be increased by mixing a retarding medium to the paint or you can also spray water on the paintings. Acrylics are completely waterproof so in case once they are dried there is no scope that you can remove the paint. It is also a difficult scenario to remove from the brush once it is dried.
Oil paintings: Another very impressive method or the mode of paintings is that of the oil painting, wherein they do not dry very quickly and thus paves much time to work and more scope for blending. Once the oil paintings are dried they can be painted again and this would not disturb the underlying layers. Another important and very attractive feature is that there is wide variety of color options available with oil paintings and such a range of colors is not offered by any of the modes of painting. You also have very rich and deep colors which maintain their intensity even after they are dried.
Some of the demerits which the oil paintings have are that they take very long time to dry. As they dry very hardly you will have to wait for several months before the painting can be varnished. When working with oil paintings you can work on many paintings simultaneously because of the excessive time they take to dry. As far as brush which is used in oil painting is considered it can be cleaned only with spirit.
Chinese Oil Painting Reproduction Attacks Europe and America Art Market
Lucas asked:
Chinese oil painting reproduction attacks Europe and America art market
In the arts world, copy the original painting works or imitate the style of known artwork name ” oil painting reproduction.” These paintings because of lack of originality, inexpensive and mass production, lock-in a large number of artworks market in the low-end market. According to the World Bank painted wholesalers Maikeweida investigation, the U.S. market, a popular line of oil paintings from China, 70%, 80% from Shenzhen and Xiamen oil painting village, which from an unknown small village , Has become “the first Chinese oil painting village”, experts have been called “dafen mode” and “Wu Shipu” phenomenon.”
nonce, China’s oil production has started from the workshop of the successful transition to an independent operating large-scale industrial development pipeline, China’s national conditions, is very good at large-scale assembly line production.
Xiamen is located in the Village Wushipu with respect to production, sales painting reproduction assembly line operations in order to copy the way the original works, and then selling low-cost, the formation of large-scale oil processing plant reproduction. Here, paint, brushes, canvas and other materials are extremely cheap, a small village there are hundreds of oil painting stores . The paintings are sold in the Chinese coastal cities such as Xiamen, this spring, based in Manchester, CEO of the Negev Qi, Ge • Security was also here that he was less than an hour on Decided to order a large, the painting will be completed this fall, when the full 6 40 feet long containers destined for Europe and the United States. Ge was that each of the framed picture to increase in the price of 25 dollars to 30 dollars, and each piece of work about 1 dollar freight, he was prepared to sell oil to those furniture stores, each in the price of 35-40 U.S. dollars, ” Oil retail prices in Europe will reach 100 U.S. dollars each to 125 U.S. dollars, while the retail price in the United States will reach 160 U.S. dollars each. “
Chinese oil painting has the advantage of producing the oil into a pipeline of the operation, copying a very meticulous division of labor, not only to improve efficiency, lower costs even lower.
Chinese artists low pay
In China, however, only a small number of artists like Chen Yifei, ZAO Wou-ki, Wu Guanzhong, and other works can be sold in Europe and the United States each hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in price, most of the Chinese artist’s works are priced at 500 U.S. dollars each Or even less. Many Chinese Creative artists of the only sources of those postcards or pictures from the Internet, and so on, Lucas copy of the 20,000 pieces of works of Van Gogh is on a roll from the Van Gogh-page book, is that they rely on the master copy of these To work to earn living expenses low.
Most of the artists after two years of apprenticeship is a career began after the oil drawn, they pay less than 200 U.S. dollars per month “great-fen village,” China is not unique to the industry, the United States had a similar “fun village” model Running, but now, where the paintings were missing workers and designers.
At that time, in the United States gathered in the northern New Jersey for a number of families, restaurants and hotels designed by the arts of painting, but these companies have abandoned the direction of the production, the main focus of the import business. Dalong to the company (daeryungcomopany), for example, 20 years ago, they have a division devoted to painting 7 painting in indoor workplaces, and four years ago, the last artist has left the company. The company members of the Week Helen (helencho) said: “It’s a good place to start when we can clearly tell what the market needs oil painting artist, but now, the Chinese people catch up.”
The United States trade alert
Chinese oil pipeline operations in the West not only caused concern in the art circle, but also Europe and the United States and around the world will be the artists, art galleries and even the industry will have a great impact. Many arts organizations of the United States have begun to guard against this phenomenon and to investigate whether or not to follow a series of Chinese oil paintings in the United States related to the copyright law. China’s exports of oil companies agreed that each copy of the paintings are handmade by the artist, so there will not be infringing copyright. However, the United States and the Visual Arts Gallery Association, Robert did not agree with this statement, “the 20th century, before the creation of works of art, of course, be free to copy and trafficking, but whether it works in modern times was’ reasonable ‘and copy sales are illegal.
??
Chinese oil painting reproduction attacks Europe and America art market
In the arts world, copy the original painting works or imitate the style of known artwork name ” oil painting reproduction.” These paintings because of lack of originality, inexpensive and mass production, lock-in a large number of artworks market in the low-end market. According to the World Bank painted wholesalers Maikeweida investigation, the U.S. market, a popular line of oil paintings from China, 70%, 80% from Shenzhen and Xiamen oil painting village, which from an unknown small village , Has become “the first Chinese oil painting village”, experts have been called “dafen mode” and “Wu Shipu” phenomenon.”
nonce, China’s oil production has started from the workshop of the successful transition to an independent operating large-scale industrial development pipeline, China’s national conditions, is very good at large-scale assembly line production.
Xiamen is located in the Village Wushipu with respect to production, sales painting reproduction assembly line operations in order to copy the way the original works, and then selling low-cost, the formation of large-scale oil processing plant reproduction. Here, paint, brushes, canvas and other materials are extremely cheap, a small village there are hundreds of oil painting stores . The paintings are sold in the Chinese coastal cities such as Xiamen, this spring, based in Manchester, CEO of the Negev Qi, Ge • Security was also here that he was less than an hour on Decided to order a large, the painting will be completed this fall, when the full 6 40 feet long containers destined for Europe and the United States. Ge was that each of the framed picture to increase in the price of 25 dollars to 30 dollars, and each piece of work about 1 dollar freight, he was prepared to sell oil to those furniture stores, each in the price of 35-40 U.S. dollars, ” Oil retail prices in Europe will reach 100 U.S. dollars each to 125 U.S. dollars, while the retail price in the United States will reach 160 U.S. dollars each. “
Chinese oil painting has the advantage of producing the oil into a pipeline of the operation, copying a very meticulous division of labor, not only to improve efficiency, lower costs even lower.
Chinese artists low pay
In China, however, only a small number of artists like Chen Yifei, ZAO Wou-ki, Wu Guanzhong, and other works can be sold in Europe and the United States each hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in price, most of the Chinese artist’s works are priced at 500 U.S. dollars each Or even less. Many Chinese Creative artists of the only sources of those postcards or pictures from the Internet, and so on, Lucas copy of the 20,000 pieces of works of Van Gogh is on a roll from the Van Gogh-page book, is that they rely on the master copy of these To work to earn living expenses low.
Most of the artists after two years of apprenticeship is a career began after the oil drawn, they pay less than 200 U.S. dollars per month “great-fen village,” China is not unique to the industry, the United States had a similar “fun village” model Running, but now, where the paintings were missing workers and designers.
At that time, in the United States gathered in the northern New Jersey for a number of families, restaurants and hotels designed by the arts of painting, but these companies have abandoned the direction of the production, the main focus of the import business. Dalong to the company (daeryungcomopany), for example, 20 years ago, they have a division devoted to painting 7 painting in indoor workplaces, and four years ago, the last artist has left the company. The company members of the Week Helen (helencho) said: “It’s a good place to start when we can clearly tell what the market needs oil painting artist, but now, the Chinese people catch up.”
The United States trade alert
Chinese oil pipeline operations in the West not only caused concern in the art circle, but also Europe and the United States and around the world will be the artists, art galleries and even the industry will have a great impact. Many arts organizations of the United States have begun to guard against this phenomenon and to investigate whether or not to follow a series of Chinese oil paintings in the United States related to the copyright law. China’s exports of oil companies agreed that each copy of the paintings are handmade by the artist, so there will not be infringing copyright. However, the United States and the Visual Arts Gallery Association, Robert did not agree with this statement, “the 20th century, before the creation of works of art, of course, be free to copy and trafficking, but whether it works in modern times was’ reasonable ‘and copy sales are illegal.
??
How to Get the Most Out of your Oil Painting
May 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Visual Art
Ralph Serpe asked:
Learning how to become a good oil painter is a difficult undertaking. In fact, it is more than likely one of the most difficult painting mediums to master. Things like color mixing & theory, perspective, techniques and materials can really intimidate a beginner artist.
So how do you get the most out of your oil painting and become a more accomplished artist?
You must make it a point to learn the fundamentals of oil painting, practice often and have an enormous amount of patience.
You must start with the fundamentals of oil painting first. You cannot expect to produce Rembrandt quality paintings in the beginning. In fact, the first paintings you produce will probably be a lot worse than you may have anticipated. Frustration will more than likely come into the picture (pun intended). They key is to learn from your mistakes and do not let them defeat you.
So what are some of the fundamentals of oil painting? What information should you study and learn first?
Below are some topics of interest that you should definitely study further when you have time:
LEARN HOW TO DRAW
You will be amazed at how much learning how to draw will help improve your oil paintings. In fact, years ago art students were not even permitted to pick up an oil painting brush until they learned the fundamentals of drawing. My advice would be to find a few good books on drawing fundamentals and start there. Drawing is an art form all by itself and you should not be expected to master drawing as an art form, unless you want to of course.
Here is an excellent book to help you learn drawing fundamentals:
“The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence” by Betty Edwards
COLOR THEORY
You MUST learn about color theory if you plan on producing quality works of art. If you don’t understand how colors work, then you might as well hang up your brushes now. There is much to learn about colors like temperature, hue and intensity and how colors interact with one another. This is a very important aspect of oil painting and must not be overlooked.
Here is an excellent book on color theory:
“Exploring Color: How to Use and Control Color in Your Painting” by Nita Leland
PERSPECTIVE
Learning about perspective will teach you how to translate a 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional canvas or other support. Learning perspective is a necessary ingredient toward producing convincing oil paintings.
Here is an excellent book on perspective:
“The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium” by Phil Metzger
MATERIALS
Materials to an oil painter are like what a guitar is to a guitarist. A guitarist cannot play without his instrument nor can he play without understanding how his instrument works. Your painting materials are your instruments. They are what enable you to express yourself, so learning more about them is pretty good idea. Get to know the different kinds of brushes and what they do. Know your paints. Not all colors behave the same. Some are more transparent or opaque than others. Know your supports and the difference between them. The list goes on.
Here is an excellent book for learning more about oil painting materials:
“The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today’s Artist” by Bill Creevy
TECHNIQUES
There are a myriad of oil painting techniques that you can utilize to create your paintings. So much so, that it is beyond the scope of this article. Techniques like wet on wet, glazing, alla prima, knife painting, etc. should all be explored. Working with various techniques will help you develop your own unique style.
Here is a great book on oil painting techniques:
“The Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques: A Unique Step-by-Step Visual Directory of All the Key Oil-Painting Techniques, Plus an Inspirational Gallery Showing How They Can Be Put into Practice” by Jeremy Galton
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS
Masters like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn , Johannes Vermeer and many more, were all able to successfully translate our 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional surface in such a way that it grabs the viewers attention and keeps it there. Their paintings engage the viewer and bring them back time and time again to look some more. Why? What is it that these paintings have that make them so popular? Well, one way to find out is to study them. If at all possible, make it a point to visit a museum as often as possible and study the works of the masters. Find paintings that grab your attention and draw you in. Then, when you have time, try to find books and other resources on those artists so that you can learn more about them and their techniques. When you are ready, pick a painting that you are quite fond of and try to reproduce it.
Here is a great book on learning from the masters:
“How to Paint Like the Old Masters ” by Joseph Sheppard
Learning how to become a good oil painter is a difficult undertaking. In fact, it is more than likely one of the most difficult painting mediums to master. Things like color mixing & theory, perspective, techniques and materials can really intimidate a beginner artist.
So how do you get the most out of your oil painting and become a more accomplished artist?
You must make it a point to learn the fundamentals of oil painting, practice often and have an enormous amount of patience.
You must start with the fundamentals of oil painting first. You cannot expect to produce Rembrandt quality paintings in the beginning. In fact, the first paintings you produce will probably be a lot worse than you may have anticipated. Frustration will more than likely come into the picture (pun intended). They key is to learn from your mistakes and do not let them defeat you.
So what are some of the fundamentals of oil painting? What information should you study and learn first?
Below are some topics of interest that you should definitely study further when you have time:
LEARN HOW TO DRAW
You will be amazed at how much learning how to draw will help improve your oil paintings. In fact, years ago art students were not even permitted to pick up an oil painting brush until they learned the fundamentals of drawing. My advice would be to find a few good books on drawing fundamentals and start there. Drawing is an art form all by itself and you should not be expected to master drawing as an art form, unless you want to of course.
Here is an excellent book to help you learn drawing fundamentals:
“The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence” by Betty Edwards
COLOR THEORY
You MUST learn about color theory if you plan on producing quality works of art. If you don’t understand how colors work, then you might as well hang up your brushes now. There is much to learn about colors like temperature, hue and intensity and how colors interact with one another. This is a very important aspect of oil painting and must not be overlooked.
Here is an excellent book on color theory:
“Exploring Color: How to Use and Control Color in Your Painting” by Nita Leland
PERSPECTIVE
Learning about perspective will teach you how to translate a 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional canvas or other support. Learning perspective is a necessary ingredient toward producing convincing oil paintings.
Here is an excellent book on perspective:
“The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium” by Phil Metzger
MATERIALS
Materials to an oil painter are like what a guitar is to a guitarist. A guitarist cannot play without his instrument nor can he play without understanding how his instrument works. Your painting materials are your instruments. They are what enable you to express yourself, so learning more about them is pretty good idea. Get to know the different kinds of brushes and what they do. Know your paints. Not all colors behave the same. Some are more transparent or opaque than others. Know your supports and the difference between them. The list goes on.
Here is an excellent book for learning more about oil painting materials:
“The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today’s Artist” by Bill Creevy
TECHNIQUES
There are a myriad of oil painting techniques that you can utilize to create your paintings. So much so, that it is beyond the scope of this article. Techniques like wet on wet, glazing, alla prima, knife painting, etc. should all be explored. Working with various techniques will help you develop your own unique style.
Here is a great book on oil painting techniques:
“The Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques: A Unique Step-by-Step Visual Directory of All the Key Oil-Painting Techniques, Plus an Inspirational Gallery Showing How They Can Be Put into Practice” by Jeremy Galton
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS
Masters like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn , Johannes Vermeer and many more, were all able to successfully translate our 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional surface in such a way that it grabs the viewers attention and keeps it there. Their paintings engage the viewer and bring them back time and time again to look some more. Why? What is it that these paintings have that make them so popular? Well, one way to find out is to study them. If at all possible, make it a point to visit a museum as often as possible and study the works of the masters. Find paintings that grab your attention and draw you in. Then, when you have time, try to find books and other resources on those artists so that you can learn more about them and their techniques. When you are ready, pick a painting that you are quite fond of and try to reproduce it.
Here is a great book on learning from the masters:
“How to Paint Like the Old Masters ” by Joseph Sheppard
